St. Landry democrat., 1887-11-12
HOW ARDS LETTER.
THE PROBLEM OF THE GIRL AND
TIE FRIED OYSTERS.
When the Season Begins-The Average
Young Woman Enjoying Life at a Ball
With Refreshments-IIowM Many BroiIed
Bivalves are Equal to Good Nights Rest?

Bivalves are Equal to a Good Nights Rest?
Precisely how many fried oysters the
average girl can eat is a problem which
no attendant young man has ever yet
been able to solve.
On and in the vicinity of Fourteenth
street, New York, where Clarendon Hall,
Tammany Hall, and quite score of dane
ing academies are utilized every night in
the season by public or private sources,
there are multitudinous restaurants,
whose menu consists of oysters in every
style, coffee, cakes, and beer. Every one
of these is absolutely packed, and does a
thriving business between the hours Of
nine at night and three in the morning.
Some of them, where there are from ten to
dozen walters during these hours, have
patronage enough to keep one waiter
only on duty at other parts of the day
The rush begins about midnight, and a
curious picture does the rush present.
The icecream tiend has been immortal
lied by poets, made famous in the daily
press and left her impress in the heart
and pocket of many an unfortunate
youth.
This is the same girl.
The transformation season begins
about the first of November, after the
fall suit is ordered and cool nights sug-
gcst the benign influence of the nicely
battered and thoroughly fried bivalve of
the period.
There are girls and girls.
OF these it is possible a number re-
main at home after the duties of the day
are done, reading Byron, darning stock
ings, making tatting or devising crazy
quilts. OF that section of femininty
little is known, but there is no earthly
bar to the fullest apprehension Of the
vast majority of bright and chiDpy
girls, to whom ball is a dream Of de-
light and fried oyster the one thing to
be desired above all.
At nine O'Clock the dance begins; curl
papers are removed, bright ribbons deck
the hair, gay garments adorn the per-
son, rings and bangles compete with
lockets and necklaces, and troops of
merry maidens HE them to the hall. 1t
is no mock hilaritv they seek, but
jocund Joy and wild hurrah. Square
dances are voted a bore; round dances
are all the 60. George from the counter,
Harry from the shop, Charles from the
desk and Samuel from the store meet
Minnie, Title, Jennie and Rosie from
the great bazaar where so suits are sold
for 81 SO, and candy stores where plaster
ot-paris, glucose and paint are trans
formed into beatitic sugardom to delight
the eye and paralyze the stomach. The
glare of the electric light, the loud har-
monies of the brass band, the quick
whirl of the waltz and the merry aban-
don of the galop deceive no one. Every
man in the room, be he nineteen or forty,
knows perfectly we'll that every girl in
the room, be she fifteen or thirty, has
oysters in her eye and intends to have
them elsewhere ere the morning light is
breaking.
1t is pretty sight.
What?
To see hundred and fifty couples
merrily prancing about a well-waXed
floor, keeping time to exhilarating
music, all souls with but single thought !
and that an oyster
Ten o'clock comes.
Five dances have been had.
With merry laugh and elastic step
Young men and madens trip them down |
the broad stairs and hurriedly HE them
10 the adjacent restaurant. "Broiled |
oysters for two, 1.-TWO fried OYSTERS"
oysters" These are the shouts which
convey to the cook in a remote recess
The whim, caprice, vagary and allah
~orbing desire of the merry men and
maidens there congregated. Back to
the hall they go, fuller and,
tor the time being, abundantly
content. Entering the room with
eye and heightened color,
George seeks second girl, while
mother gent" solicits the honor of fair
I.izzie's hand. George knows, as well as
'e KNOWS lnaL the sun Will Snlne on the
following day, that the gentle damsel
with whom he now takes the floor ex-
ects from him an oyster, while the
aughing Lizzie, as she shakes her skirts
and rests her hand tenderly upon Will
liam Henry's shoulder, felicitates herself
nat soon the department of her interior
Nill be blest by the solacing poultice of
mother well-battered, well-broiled BIZ
valve, and so the thing goes on.
Man after man departs, each with his
'riend; one common motive inspiring
very step, one strong determination the
of every act.
In an oyster saloon not far from Clar-
-ndon Hall the head waiter, in response
o question, said: young women, sir?
Bless your heart, sir; l wouldn't dare to
ay, sir. They are that fond of oysters,
!r, that it would seem as if they would
'urst themselves One young woman
'omes here on an average four nights
week in the winter season. and | am sure
hope may die, sir, if she doesn't eat
en- to fifteen broils after eleven o'clock
Il night, SIR :
Does she have any special beau? I {
mean, does one young man come with
Ter always?"
"Oh, no, indeed, sir Oh, no, not
,uph cir 7 Sop't think oh M roc ,,,,,ob =